Yard signs—especially those endorsing or opposing a political candidate or issue—are sometimes the target of homeowners’ associations (HOAs), neighborhood organizations, local governments, and vandals.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution only prohibits federal, state, or local government interference with free speech. But many states have enacted statutes that protect elections and political speech in yard and other signs—allowing HOAs, neighborhood organizations, and local governments to place some limits on political signs, but not to ban them. For example, signs may be required to be inoffensive, mounted in the ground, and only displayed for 45 or 90 days before an election and up to ten days following an election.

State statutes that permit political signs on private property may also permit political signs in an unpaved right-of-way (ROW)—a city-owned strip of land from the edge of a city street or county road.

Yard signs that are not political speech—such as those warning trespassers (No Trespassing) or advertising a business’s goods or services or that a property or home is for sale—are generally subject to restrictions by HOAs, neighborhood organizations, and local governments. For example, some municipalities may require a permit to display certain signs.

In Nevada, homeowners' associations (HOAs) and local governments may regulate the display of yard signs, including those related to political candidates or issues, but they cannot completely ban them due to protections for political speech. Nevada law acknowledges the importance of political signs during election periods and typically allows residents to display such signs in their yards. Restrictions that may be imposed can include guidelines on the size, number, and duration for which political signs may be displayed, often allowing signs to be put up a certain number of days before an election and requiring their removal within a certain number of days after the election. Non-political signs, such as those advertising businesses or warning against trespassing, are more heavily regulated and may be subject to stricter HOA rules and local government ordinances, which can include the need for permits or adherence to specific aesthetic standards.